The Sunday Paper #577

October 19, 2025

In 2023, I wrote down a goal/mission: “to make money (still growing that retirement fund) while making an impact, having fun, and spending time with cool people over the next 10 years (plan is to scale back in 2033 when I’m 68)”.

About a year ago, I invited Amanda Guest, an artist I met through Dieu Donné in NYC when we were both in our late 20’s, to spend a week in my studio. We met monthly on zoom over the year to reconnect and plan. This turned into a self-hosted residency with an artist friend. I needed time to focus on my next artist’s book (which has been dragging along for years) and Amanda hadn’t worked in a paper studio for a long time. I will be processing this experience for awhile.

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I was on the Making Zen podcast earlier this week, talking with Kate Ward about my art practice. I hope you have a minute (or 30) to listen to our conversation. This leads up to Making Zen, a five-day online retreat that will take place October 27-31, featuring 30 workshops taught by different artists (including me). It’s totally free to attend those presentations for 24 hours, but there is a VIP Pass that allows you to purchase lifetime access (VIP passes are discounted now until the retreat begins on the 27th). Get all the details here. 

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It was sad to receive this note of passing from Brien Beidler and Shanna Leino on October 15th: “Jim Croft made his final crease in this fold of space and time yesterday morning at 10:04 am, surrounded by his immediate family and music on their homestead in Pokey Creek.”

Jim was one-of-a-kind, and I had the honor of spending time with him at a Paper and Book Intensive years ago. My husband and one-year old were in tow, and Jim carved a set of wooden teething blocks for the babe. A few years later, he drove over to my studio in Portland to test beat some hemp firehose in my beater. It was a rare treat to talk with someone about the nuances of making pulp.

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I adore the work of Sarah Sense, who is a visionary artist celebrated for her distinctive approach to weaving. She is a featured artist in the Montclair Art Museum’s landmark exhibition, “Interwoven Power: Native Knowledge / Native Art” recently. She has been practicing photo-weaving with traditional basket techniques from her Chitimacha and Choctaw family since 2004.

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These fantastical cardboard sculptures, by artist James Grashow, are worth taking a look at (behind a NY Times paywall, but maybe you’re a subscriber).

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Paper Tidbits

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